Five Don't Lie
by SunBinamra
Summary: Oneshot. Five wants to make sure Holiday understands that the man she loves is no closet saint.


**Disclaimer: I do not own _Generator Rex_.**

Doctor Holiday breathed a sigh of relief. As much as she loved her job, sometimes it was nice to get away from the sterile, harshly regulated environment that was Providence. This tiny town with its even tinier coffee shop was perfect. And since it was fairly early in the morning, only a handful of people were scattered around the cafe. Taking a sip of her coffee, Holiday relaxed against her seat.

"Well well. Fancy seeing you here, love. Mind if I join you?"

Holiday spun around to come face to face with a smirking Five. The shorter woman's shock of pink hair stood out against the calm, muted tones of the coffee shop.

"Um… hello again," Holiday greeted cautiously. Having only met the woman in person once, and very briefly at that, Holiday wasn't sure what to make of Six's former comrade.

_And maybe more_, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. Holiday quickly silenced it.

Five quirked a brow. Her customary guitar was strapped to her back. "So, should I just stand here or can I join you?"

"O-oh, right. Sorry, of course. Take a seat," Holiday gestured to the chair opposite her. Five nodded and plopped herself down, kicking up her feet to rest them on the table. This earned them a few curious glances, and one grumble from a nearby employee, but at Five's threatening glare the man shrunk back and disappeared behind the counter. Holiday didn't outwardly acknowledge it, but the incident was enough to remind her exactly who she was dealing with. The two women regarded each other quietly for a moment.

"So what brings you to this dump?" Five asked.

"Work," Holiday answered vaguely. "I'm supposed to meet with one of the local scientists here. But you knew that already, didn't you?" A playful smile hovered around Five's mouth.

"What makes you say that?" the mercenary questioned.

"You knew I was coming. There's no way we 'just happened' to bump into each other in a small, practically invisible town like this. That might have been more plausible in a big city, considering your line of work." Holiday narrowed her eyes. "What I'm curious about is why you came. We've only met once." Five nodded in satisfaction.

"Smart girl. And beautiful too. I can see why he likes you." Here Holiday's eyebrow rose.

"'He?'" she asked. Five rolled her eyes.

"Don't play dumb with me, love. It doesn't suit you. We both know who I'm talking about," Five said. Holiday's eyebrow rose even higher. Briefly she noted that the man in question's habits were rubbing off on her.

"I find it hard to believe you tracked me down just to talk about Agent Six," Holiday replied dryly. Five shrugged.

"And what if I did?" she asked.

"I'd want to know why. From what Rex has told me, you people aren't all that close. You've even tried to kill each other on a number of occasions," Holiday said. She wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. Five chuckled.

"That's just how it works, love. We ain't one big, happy family, that's for sure. But we look out for our own." Suddenly all pretenses of playfulness were gone. Five lowered her legs from the table and looked Holiday directly in the eye.

"How well do you know Six?" Five asked suddenly. Holiday blinked, caught off guard.

"Um… well I know his habits… and what he likes and doesn't like… and I'd like to believe I know how he thinks -"

"Wrong," Five interrupted calmly. "You have no idea how he thinks. You don't even know who he really is." Holiday bristled at that.

"Really? Well, I might not know everything about him but I'm sure I know a little something about the man I've been working with for over six years. We practically raised a child together!" Holiday retorted heatedly. "He's stoic and rule bound almost to a fault, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care. He cares a lot, actually, and he's not afraid to put himself in harm's way for what he thinks is right. And -"

"If you know so much about Six," Five drawled. "Then what's his name?" Holiday froze.

"His name?" Holiday repeated.

"Yes, love, his name. What, you don't think he was born as 'Agent Six' do you?"

"I know that!" Holiday snapped. "And, well, I've never asked him his name. I never asked him about his past because I knew it was a sensitive subject…"

"Has he told you anything?" Five demanded. "What do you know about his past?" Holiday paused.

"I know he was a mercenary," she said slowly. "I know he's called Six because he's the sixth most dangerous man on the planet, and I know he could've been _the_ most dangerous man if not for the Event." There was a beat of silence as Holiday struggled to come up with anything more substantive.

"That's it?" Five asked a few moments later. "That's all you know about the man you're supposedly in love with?" Holiday didn't even bother arguing with the other woman on that last point. She was preoccupied with the realization that she didn't know as much about Agent Six as she thought she did. It must have been written all over her face because Five sighed.

"You really don't know him at all," Five raised her hand as Holiday opened her mouth to protest. "I don't care how much you know about him now. He's a changed man, but if you don't know what he used to be, then you will never understand him." Holiday closed her mouth in defeat.

"When you described him earlier, you made him out to be some kind of closet saint. The quiet, obedient soldier who values other's lives above his own. Well, hate to burst your bubble, love, but that's a lie." Holiday's grip tightened on her mug.

"What makes you say that?" the doctor forced out between gritted teeth. Five's eyes narrowed.

"Do you realize what it means to be the sixth most dangerous man on the planet?" Five asked.

"He was a mercenary," Holiday said shortly. "A hired gun. Or in his case a hired sword." Five groaned.

"I don't need a definition, love. I mean, do you understand what he did as a mercenary? What his job entailed?" She leaned forward. "Do you realize that the man you love has taken lives in cold blood?" Holiday glared.

"I know," she growled. "But I know him, and I know he wouldn't have taken a life unless he had to. And besides, he's more than made up for it with the countless lives he's saved during his time with Providence." Five shook her head.

"You still don't get it. Let me put it to you this way, love. If you were to ask Six how many lives he's taken, he wouldn't tell you. It's not just that he wouldn't want to, it's because _he_ _wouldn't be able to_. That man's hands are so stained with blood he doesn't even remember all of his victims. There are too many to count." Holiday's face paled slightly. But Five was relentless and barreled on.

"And you said it yourself. He was well on his way to becoming the most dangerous man in the world. He may have settled at sixth most dangerous but that's still one hell of a reputation to gain, and an even harder one to keep. In some ways, maintaining a title like that can cost more lives than it took to get it in the first place." Five regarded Holiday coldly, not caring that the doctor was gripping her mug so tightly she thought she heard a crack.

"Why are you telling me this?" Holiday croaked. Five narrowed her eyes.

"Because I want you to understand exactly what kind of man you're dealing with. I don't want you thinking he's something he's not, or worse, _forcing_ him to become something he's not." Five leaned forward even more. "As a doctor, someone who has dedicated their life to saving others, can you accept that the man you love is a killer?"

"Was," Holiday corrected automatically. "He _was_ a killer. He isn't anymore." For a moment Five looked taken aback, but the surprise was gone in an instant.

"If you're gonna love him, you better love _all_ of him, the good and the bad. Especially the bad. You up for it?" Five asked quietly. Holiday still looked pale, but her eyes were determined.

"Of course," Holiday said calmly. Her hands still had a death grip on the coffee mug, but her gaze was steady as it met Five's. "I know his past isn't pretty. I know he's done things he isn't proud of - haven't we all? But he's changed and become a better man, and I love him." Five's eyes widened slightly.

"Even if he were to tell you exactly what he's capable of?" Five queried. Holiday nodded.

"Even then. After all, it's not like Six would suddenly change if he told me. I would be the one to change. Or rather, my understanding of him would change." Five examined Holiday carefully. Although the doctor was uncomfortable with such intense scrutiny, she steadfastly held the other woman's gaze. After a long, tense moment, Five leaned back and smiled.

"Well well," she said softly. "You're one tough cookie. I think you'd be good for him. I might even go so far as to say you're too good for him." Holiday's grip on the mug relaxed.

"Oh? So was this some sort of test?" Holiday asked. Five waved a hand lazily. Her feet were back on the table.

"Something like that. Mostly I was just curious about the woman who's got the sixth most dangerous man on the planet wrapped around her little finger." Holiday's eyebrows shot up.

"Wrapped around my finger? Are we talking about the same man?" Holiday grumbled. "Because the Six I know hardly ever listens to me."

"He nearly died trying to save your sister," Five pointed out. Holiday spluttered.

"W-what the…? But that was just… How do you -" Then she stopped herself.

_Right, almost forgot who I was talking to_, Holiday thought. _And frankly, I don't even want to know how she got that information._ As if she read her mind, Five snickered.

"Trust me, love. He likes you a lot. Much more than he ever liked me, clearly," Five muttered. There was a note of bitterness near the end of her statement.

Curiosity piqued, Holiday asked, "Wait, were you two…?" Five shrugged.

"We dated for a little while, yeah," she said flippantly, inspecting her nails.

"Oh," Holiday said lamely. _So they were more than comrades_, she thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "So… mind if I ask what happened?"

"It didn't work out, obviously," Five said. "And to be honest, looking back it seems like it was more of an experiment."

"An experiment?" Holiday repeated. Five nodded.

"Yeah. Wanted to get a little taste of the dating scene, some normalcy. And out of all the others… well, you should see the others. Trey's a complete imbecile, IV's overly paranoid, and Dos has a stick shoved so far up his ass it's a miracle he can walk. Six was the most… normal, for lack of a better word. Didn't hurt that he's quite the looker." Five chuckled at the faint red dusted across Holiday's cheeks. "We spent so much time together training, and when you're training to become a mercenary there isn't much contact with anyone outside your fellow students, so… it just happened. Guess we mistook extreme rivalry for blossoming romance." Five barked a laugh. "Shoulda known it would never work. Six doesn't do romance, as I'm sure you're aware. Speaking of which, has he asked you out yet?" For the nth time that day, Holiday was caught off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"Has. Six. Asked. You. Out. Yet?" Five enunciated slowly. Holiday's eye twitched.

"I heard you the first time! And… well he asked me to dinner once, although I suspect Rex had something to do with that. But then he lost his memory so things got a little crazy -"

"Then why don't you do it?" Five suggested.

"Do what?"

"Ask him out," Five said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Uh…"

"Don't tell me you're waiting on him. That'll take forever and a day. You seem like a strong, independent woman. So take initiative, damn it!"

"That's not the problem -" Holiday was having trouble keeping up with the other woman's sudden shifts in mood.

"Then what is?" Five demanded. Then she paused. "Oh no. Don't tell me he gave you that crap about having enemies and not wanting you to get involved or something."

"No! And even if he did, I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Holiday replied, miffed. Five laughed.

"Didn't say you couldn't. Six probably knows it too, but he can be a bit thick."

"So I've noticed," Holiday muttered. She looked at Five curiously.

"By the way… why are you so interested in Six's love life? Are you still…?" Holiday trailed off. Five's lips thinned.

"If you want to know if I'm still in love with him, then no. Been over that for a long time. I guess… I just wanted to make sure he didn't screw it up with someone else." Five's mouth quirked up in a half smile. "And maybe… maybe I just want confirmation that there is someone out there who can learn to love someone like him. Like us." Five looked pensive for a moment, then before Holiday could blink there was a butter knife pointed at her throat.

"Just so we're clear, love," Five said calmly. "You tell anyone what happened here today, and things will get a little messy. Capiche?" Holiday gently turned the knife to the side with her index finger.

"Of course," the doctor murmured. She'd had no intention of sharing this meeting with anyone anyway. Five grinned.

"Good girl," she said approvingly. The mercenary stretched and gracefully leapt to her feet.

"I think I see that scientist of yours coming this way. Glad we had this chat, love. And good luck with Sir Katana." Five threw Holiday a saucy wink before bounding out the door. Holiday sat stunned for a moment at the abrupt exit, then she sighed and shook her head.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she muttered. But there was a small smile on her lips as she recalled Five's approval and "advice," if that's what it was.

"Doctor Holiday?" A thin, nervous looking man stood before her table. He fluttered his hands as if not quite sure what to do with them.

"That's me," Holiday said pleasantly. "Please, have a seat, Doctor." As the small scientist began rambling about his work, Holiday pushed all thoughts of green suits and katanas to the back of her mind. Right now, there was work to be done. As for later… Perhaps she'd take Five's advice and take the initiative when she returned.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Ramblings: I know GR is geared (no pun intended) towards kids, but I wanted to address the fact that Six was a killer long before he became "Agent Six." I wasn't sure if Holiday really understood that, or if any of them did (okay, maybe White but that's another story). And I thought Five was the perfect person to explain that to her.<strong>


End file.
